Gotta say, even though the Jaguars have only really been middle to upper middle of the pack for a while now, they're cap management is superb. I believe their motto is "backloading is a naughty word", which means their team salary stays even and doesn't jump up one year all of a sudden. That and they are usually very quiet FA players. I guess it puts a stress on drafting well so it's only a good cap system if you're good at that really, which they generally have been, being a playoff contender lately.

Anyway, that's enough of my divisional rival love, just don't think they get enough credit for their cap management.

Why thank you.

Backloading is what screwed the Jags' cap in the early 00's, so there's precedent for such a strategy.

The Bills have a team consistant of 1, thats ONE starter that is over the age of 30. (Peerless Price who will be turning 31 in October) They have a franchise QB and WR whos contract is up in the next two years.

I have a feeling that the Bills are saving wisely because they know that a bunch of thier team will be up for contracts sooner than later. And they like to keep the core nucleus of Levy type guys together for the next 5 years or so.

ok we have 16 million in cap space but won't use some to sign LJ long term??

He's a 27 going on 28 year old RB who just came off of 400 carries in a season. At 28, its generally said that RB's only have ~3 years of solid production left and for the 4 RB's who had a 400 carry season, their following season and careers were injury plagued. It makes sense from a business standpoint to be weary of giving him a new contract.

But Larry's a unique case because he essentially sat behind Priest for a couple years, so I don't buy much into the age argument. The carries argument kinda works with the age and I think his body will hold up, so there go the major reasons for KC not wanting to give LJ a new contract. The major problem is money, which is always the case, he wants more guaranteed money than LT, and that's the hold up.

They'll get the deal done before the season starts, but there probably will be a holdout that'll affect training camp.

The San Francisco 49ers, who already have locked up starting running back Frank Gore to a contract extension and spent heavily on free-agent cornerback Nate Clements, just missed the $10-million club at $9.8 million.

Steelers have almost no room because they have alot of contracts in their final years like Faneca, Polamalu, Simmons, Starks, Haggans and Colcoulgh. We're supposed to have something like 43 million next year so hopefully we'll use that to get guys like Troy and Ben signed.

The $21 mil for the Bills is misleading. The Bills have only signed their 7th rounder (CJ Ah You) so far. Plus, they are going to have to shell out big money to extend Lee Evans and JP Losman after this year. It's really good that we are in a good cap situation right now, because in a few years it's going to get tight again.

While I don't disagree with the premise of the article, most of those teams will continue to not spend money.

Either way, any GM with a brain knows to lock up as many players as you can with a year or two left on their contracts. I'm not in love with the 5 year-28 million dollar deal that Nathan Vasher got, but it's probably about 2/3 or maybe even half of what he could have commanded in the ridiculous market that will be next offseason.

The Bills have a team consistant of 1, thats ONE starter that is over the age of 30. (Peerless Price who will be turning 31 in October) They have a franchise QB and WR whos contract is up in the next two years.

I have a feeling that the Bills are saving wisely because they know that a bunch of thier team will be up for contracts sooner than later. And they like to keep the core nucleus of Levy type guys together for the next 5 years or so.

Plus they are relatively poor. They are one of the lowest revenue generating teams in arguably the smallest (with only New Orleans and Jacksonville in competing) markets, media and otherwise, in the NFL.

The Bills will never be a team that hands out big signing bonuses on a regular basis unless the team moves to Los Angeles, is sold, or both.

Which makes the giant contract given to Derrick Dockery all the more puzzling.